A walk in the meadow
by TrickyTiara
Summary: Tintin goes for a walk with the Captain, listens to a conversation with the Professor, and catches a cold.
1. Wooah!

_**Wooah!**_

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><p>The early evening was cool with a gentle breeze. Water dripped from trees and clung to the grass. It had rained for most of the day and the night before and although their shoes were heavy with mud and their socks squelched as they walked, it was nice to finally be outside. Tintin and Captain Haddock had left the Professor in the garden and were now heading towards the meadow.<p>

Snowy tore out in front of them like a furry zigzagging rocket, chasing something or other and getting his feet tangled in the knee-high grass. The Captain grinned as Snowy tumbled head-over-paws for what must have been the eleventh time that day. It never ceased to be funny. The dog shook his head and carried on, none the worse for wear.

"Not too far, Snowy," Tintin called. He had stopped to retie his shoelace.

Captain Haddock surveyed the meadow, which glistened in the fading sunlight. The stream which ran through it was wider than usual from the rain and was flowing quite fast. Tiny white mushrooms had sprouted here and there. Tintin straightened up.

"What a lovely evening. Just look at the Moon!"

The Captain looked up and managed to make out the pale shape of the Moon among the clouds. "Oh, yes. It's, er...It's very pretty. In fact…"

In fact, it looked just like the Moon. Tintin, however, seemed to find something a bit more spectacular in it for he was still staring up at the sky. The Captain hoped he wasn't thinking of going to the Moon again. The Professor would only be too happy to build another flying cigar of a rocket and of course he would somehow end up in it-

"_WOOAH!_" came the shrill bark of Snowy, almost giving the Captain a heart attack.

"Crumbs!" cried Tintin. "He's fallen into the stream!"

"Hey! Tintin, wait!"

But Tintin was already dashing off towards the swollen stream. The Captain tried to follow, but immediately slipped on the grass and went down heavily. "Billions of blue blistering barnacles!"

Meanwhile, Tintin had wasted no time. He stopped further down the bank than Snowy and plunged in without hesitation. By the time the Captain was back on his feet, the stream had carried Snowy straight into Tintin's arms and the boy was attempting to navigate his way towards the bank.

Captain Haddock arrived at the stream in time for a sopping wet and quivering Snowy to be handed to him. Blistering barnacles, the dog weighed a ton!

"By thunder, you didn't have to rush off like that, boy! I could have helped. You could have been swept away!"

He set Snowy aside and helped Tintin haul himself out of the water. He weighed a ton, too.

"I wasn't in any danger, Captain. The water wasn't deep enough for that. Where's Snowy?"

Snowy was beside them. He shook the water out of his fur, spraying them both, and was about to take off again before Tintin scooped him from the ground. "Oh, no you don't. You've caused enough trouble for today. Didn't I tell you to be careful?"

"You didn't," said the Captain.

"I didn't?"

"No."

"So I did?"

"No!"

Tintin shrugged. "Oh well. It makes no difference either way." He made a sudden shuddering movement, similar to Snowy shaking water off, but unlike Snowy he didn't manage to end up any less thoroughly drenched. Snowy whined restlessly and started to clamber up Tintin's shoulder.

"You'd better get inside," said the Captain, taking his arm. "You'll freeze to death out here."

Tintin nodded. "It is a bit chilly…"

"_Chilly?_" exclaimed the Captain incredulously. "Look at yourself, thundering typhoons! You're soaked through!"

"Yes, I noticed that. I jumped into the stream, didn't I?" Tintin made another shudder before the Captain could reply and this time his hair became dry enough for his quiff to stand up again.

Snowy wiggled, sneezed, and slid down his shirt.

"We should look for the Professor first, to tell him we're going back in. So that he'll know where to find us."

"That's fine. Whatever you like," said the Captain agreeably. "Just be quick about it; the breeze is picking up," he added as he steered the shivering boy by the shoulders.

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><p><strong><em>The Adventures of Tintin<em> was created by Hergé.**

This story turned out to be something like twice as long as the ones I've been doing, and I was going to insist on putting it all in one chapter but it got too messy, I think.

I'd had the idea which resulted in the second chapter a few weeks ago and dismissed it because I didn't have enough plot, then I had the idea for the third chapter a few days ago, and I had to write this first chapter to cause the third chapter, then I found a way to influence the third chapter with the second chapter, which gave me an added bonus of using the idea I'd dismissed. Okay. Have I mentioned that I love it when you review?


	2. Quack!

_**Quack!**_

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><p>They found Professor Calculus still in the garden, tutting over his roses.<p>

"No, not too bad," he observed when Tintin attempted to explain where they were going. "Nothing I can't fix, but it's too dark to start work now. I do appreciate your concern."

"What are you saying now?" the Captain demanded impatiently. "We're just going inside!"

"Oh, you don't understand, Captain," explained the Professor gently. "The storm could have ruined them completely! Fortunately, the _Bianca Castafiore_ is an especially resilient variety. Ah, when I create a rose, I do it properly!"

"Your rose? We weren't talking about your rose!"

"Yes, as I've told you before: named after Bianca Castafiore. Such a charming lady!"

"You think so?" muttered the Captain.

"By the way," said Calculus as he turned away from his roses. "You haven't yet told me: when is the wedding taking place?"

This time, the Captain couldn't think up any words to curse with and instead spluttered unintelligibly.

"I…I told you," he finally managed to say in a strangled tone. "Thundering typhoons, the press made it up. _We are not engaged!_"

"Are you quite sure? Then may I suggest having it in June? I would gladly supply the bouquets – it goes without asking."

"Ten thousand thundering-"

_Quack!_

Professor Calculus cupped a hand around his ear. "I'm sorry – you were saying…?"

"What was that?" said the Captain in disbelief. "Did you hear it?'

"Of course not. As many as you like!"

The Captain promptly turned to Tintin.

_Quack!_

"Was that a duck?"

Tintin had put Snowy down and was squeezing some water out of his shirt. "A duck here? I doubt it. At the stream, maybe, but not here."

_Quack!_

The sound came from the bushes near the garden path. Tintin crouched beside them with Snowy sniffing cautiously. "I do believe it's a frog."

"A frog?" The Captain joined him at the bushes. "A frog made that noise?"

"Yes." Tintin cleared his throat. "I think Snowy's found it." Snowy had stopped sniffing and had jumped back in a startled manner. He reached out a paw, patted the ground tentatively, and jumped back again.

"Would you like to see it, Captain? It's over here."

Captain Haddock knelt at the bushes and moved his head slowly to where Tintin was indicating. Under the shadow of some leaves squatted a pale yellow frog, barely the length of his smallest finger.

"Have you lost something?" enquired Professor Calculus.

"Take a look at this, Cuthbert: it's a frog that goes _quack!_"

"It's right here, Professor." Tintin pointed. "Under this bush. You could see it in front of the Captain."

This made the Captain suddenly aware of how close the frog was to his face, and he quickly retreated his head to a safer distance. With his kind of luck, it would not be surprising if the frog decided to jump on him.

"If you insist, but I'm always happy to help," smiled the Professor.

Snowy sneezed again and resumed sniffing at the frog. _Quack!_ said the frog.

The Captain sat up. "It's fantastic! Who would have thought that such a tiny creature could make such a loud noise?"

"Well," said Tintin. "I have Snowy here…"

The Captain frowned. Tintin's voice was starting to take on a rasping quality. "Blistering barnacles, I'd completely forgotten – You're supposed to be inside! You could have reminded me."

"It-" Tintin began before his voice caught in his throat. He coughed to clear it and continued. "I got distracted. You were having a conversation with the Professor and I didn't want to interrupt. I found it very interesting and I…" Tintin faltered at what was probably the expression that must have crossed the Captain's face and quickly changed the subject. "I'm…a bit hoarse…And cold...I think I should go now."

Captain Haddock tried not to look so scary.

"Hang on, I'll come with you." The Captain struggled to move his stiff knees from the bush. Snowy ducked out of his way and Tintin leaned over.

"Do you need help? Be careful; try not to disturb the frog."

"Is it still there?"

"Let me see…" The boy looked under the bush. "Yes, it's here. It's sitting under the leaves and – _Don't eat it, Snowy!_"

Snowy leapt back as the frog used his snout as a launching pad to fly towards the Captain.

"Thundering typhoons!" yelled the Captain as it bounced off his shirt.

"Wooah!" shrieked Snowy as he tore after the frog.

"Snowy!" Tintin called as he slipped and slid after the muddy ball of fur. "Here, Snowy!"

The frog leapt up the path and from bush to tree before landing on the oblivious Professor's shoulder. Snowy lunged towards the man but Tintin did the same and managed to catch him in time, almost overbalancing from the weight.

"Careful!" warned the Captain. "Mind the roses!"

Tintin steadied himself at the edge of the Professor's flowerbed. "Really, Snowy!" he scolded. "If this is how you behave at home, I don't know how we manage outside the country!"

"Hello…" remarked Professor Calculus. "A frog!"

The frog jumped off his shoulder, narrowly missing the Captain, who was already on his feet. The Captain called it a misshapen amphibious firecracker before turning to Tintin.

"Come along now, you've spent far too long outside."

"You're right. Just wait a moment, Snowy's getting fidgety – EEK!"

Snowy leapt out of his arms and Tintin lost his balance, landing with a yelp among the Professor's roses. Captain Haddock shook his head. That boy was clumsier than him, sometimes.

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><p>I like this chapter. Calculus is fun to write.<p> 


	3. Atchoo!

_**Atchoo!**_

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><p>In the light of the hall, Tintin's skin was pale and his lips were blue. Even after being hastened to a hot shower, his eyes had become watery and his nose an unnatural shade of pink. By the time he was dressed in his sleeping attire, he was sneezing every half-minute as well as still giving off the violent shudders he had made at the stream. The Captain took one look at him and pronounced him ill.<p>

Tintin's reaction was to make a face which suggested that he had just been told ducks went _ribbit_.

"Don't look at me like that!" responded the Captain. "D'you not think I recognise a cold when I see one?"

"It can't be that bad…" protested Tintin. "Atchoo!"

The Captain snorted. "You're a smart young man; are you sure that's what you think?"

Tintin wiped his eyes. "No, I suppose not."

The Captain nodded like he'd made a point.

"But I don't understand – I haven't had a cold in years."

"Really?" The Captain was impressed. "How many years?"

"I don't rememb – _atch!_ – I've…I've never had one during my adventures or anything like that."

"Well," said the Captain brightly. "Then it's a good thing that the only time you get a cold is when you don't have an adventure to worry about!"

Tintin sniffed. "I don't like it."

"You're not alone in that."

"Atchoo!" Tintin said, and started to get up.

"Whoa!" cried the Captain in alarm. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm…" mumbled Tintin distractedly as he tried not to wobble. "Snowy…"

The Captain looked at him sharply. "No…" Surely the boy wasn't that ill?

"Atchoo! I mean I'm going to look for him."

Captain Haddock drew himself to his full height. "If you think I'm going to let you wander around the house when you can barely stand-"

"I'm standing quite-"

"When you're swaying on the spot like that-"

"I've stopped, look-"

"By thunder, don't even think about it!"

Tintin wouldn't let it go. "I can still – _atchoo!_"

"Oh yes. My point exactly. You're staying right here – I'll look for Snowy."

"But-"

"No."

"I can help-"

"Blistering barnacles – For someone who's supposed to be sick, you argue a lot."

"I'm not that-"

"Sit!"

Tintin obeyed instantly, mild surprise on his face; but sitting obviously wasn't going to stop him from protesting some more.

"Don't!" commanded the Captain before he could say anything else. "Not another word from you – my decision is final. Would you like some soup?"

Tintin looked genuinely confused. "I…er…Thank you, but why? I'm not hungry."

The Captain stared.

"What's the matter? Atchoo!"

"You've really never had a cold, have you?"

"Did I say something wrong?"

-:-

By the time Captain Haddock returned with a wriggling, completely clean and dry Snowy and a glass of Loch Lomond, Tintin was already lost under his bedcovers. He set Snowy down and found the boy's head, which was buried somewhere between the edge of the pillow and a bunched-up part of the blanket.

When the Captain saw that he was asleep, he couldn't help but allow himself a fond smile. The poor thing was so tired. Imagine – This young whippersnapper was insisting on getting up less than an hour ago! He sipped from his glass and made his way towards the door.

Tintin stirred when he switched off the lights. "Hello, Captain…"

"Hey, you. I brought Snowy. You can go back to sleep."

Tintin stirred again and muttered something incoherent. "Goodnight, Captain," the Captain heard him say as he was closing the door.

"Goodnight, Tintin."

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><p>A sentence in the second section was the one that made me write all the other sentences making up this story, but that second section's a bit too saccharine for my liking, in my opinion. You might think different. I wouldn't mind.<p>

I apologise for any out-of-character-ness that might have bothered you and hope that you enjoyed yourselves.

Again, I love it when you review.


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